The Master of Uradan

Rohan was standing on his horse with a dignified expression looking at the horizon.

He was wearing a dark leather armor, and the only skin visible was his face.

The armor he had on him was the one he had bought himself with all the money his master gave to him each week since he had begun to work. Even though the pay was good and Horim didn't care about the money he had on him, Rohan could only afford one of the least costly armor he had found.

Hanging on the left side of the horse, Barakas, there were two bags both filled to the brim with all the affairs he was currently possessing. The warrior also had a black cape wrapping up his body, as it would be useful to protect him from the harsh environment and the cold nights.

On his left, a good sword was on its scabbard. It was the one forged by Horim, and the quality was even better than the one that his father had given to him the day of his fourteen birthday.

On his back and slightly leaning to the left, was a third bag, smaller than the other two and containing the more important item he had.

That day he had fled from the hellish fire, he had been forced to let too much behind him. This time, if anything was to happen, he would at least be a bit prepared to flee.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Rohan was currently traveling with his house on his back, as it was truly all he possessed. His horse neighed, tired of waiting here.

Rohan was looking in front of him, encompassing all the area with his eyes.

He was currently standing in front of what should be the delimitation of the barren lands with the kingdom of Daksina.

But where he almost expected to see a devastated soil, or a gigantesque desert, or anything a bit scarier, only a large rock of his size was standing on the way with the characters meaning 'Barren Lands' on it.

Other than that, the forest stretching after this rock was the same as the one on his side. Disappointed, Rohan made his horse continue the way.

After an hour passed while running through the forest, Rohan thought that the description he had heard about that place was simply ridiculous. Since he had put the foot, or at least the one of his horse on these lands, there weren't any differences with the lands from which he came from.

He could even say this place was better since back at his home, the ground was drying and made all the plantations tougher and tougher to grow. And from what he could see since he was crossing this forest, this place shouldn't be called Barren Lands. Or so he thought.

A few minutes after having this reflection, the forest around him disappeared to let another environment take after it. This abrupt change made Rohan stop his horse on the spot. In front of him, stretching toward the horizon and as far as the eyes could see, a huge desert showed itself.

There wasn't even a gradual change in between the forest and the desert, and it was as if the desert had suddenly appeared one day where it should have been a forest.

Before Rohan who was looking at the scene with an opened jaw was simply sand, rock, and heat. Around and behind him, was a luxuriant forest with green foliage that was expected for this period of the year.

But the abrupt alteration in the two environments left Rohan rooted on the spot. He forgot all he had said to himself before that and agreed in his mind. These land were indeed the Barren Lands.

In any case, his direction was forward, and it would only take a couple of months at least before he would be able to leave this strange part of the continent. He clacked the leash of the horse and led it, always forward.

The heat he felt on his horse made him curse Horim for not telling him about it. He surely wouldn't have put this armor and this stupid-looking cape he had on the back. The more he advanced inside this desertic place, the more he felt that it would be the longest months of his life.

He put his cape around his face to protect it from the sun which was targeting him and mused over the fact that since the beginning, he didn't have seen anything alive.

Without even talking about the nomad clans that were supposed to be everywhere, he didn't even have seen a single beast.

All around him were rocks. greys rocks. Small rocks. Big rocks. All sizes and forms as well as different colors and kinds of rocks.

His horse was slowly running on them as the hoofs of the animal crashed against the rocky ground, filling the mind of Rohan as he tried to read a book. It was the one about botany, as he wouldn't dare to take out a wizard's book in an open field where he could encounter a clan at any moment.

This book was a simple one, yet perfectly complete, and Rohan was already able to discern some of the dried plants he had in his stock.

All of those plants were common ones that could be found without much difficulty, and thus would be pretty much useless to Rohan for the time being. In any case, it wouldn't cost him that much to keep them in his bags.

The heat coming from the burning sun was starting to become unbearable. Of course, that wasn't the case for Rohan. Even if the heat was making him uncomfortable and he wanted to go back, he was still a rank 5 Beginner Warrior who was in the possession of a sturdy body.

That wasn't the same result for his horse, and Rohan was already forced several times to stop to make it drink some water. Coming here with a horse was maybe not a good idea, as it was taking a stroll on his reserve of water, as well as too much time from him.

There was nothing all around, even behind him the forest couldn't be seen anymore, and on the horizon in front was only a bit of smoke that was flying in the air. On the left was still the same landscape with rocks everywhere and it was the same thing at the ri…

Rohan sharply turned his head to look at the front. He squinted his eyes as if it would magically help him to see far away.

There, in the middle of nothing, a trail of smoke was going up toward the sky, and dust was trying to climb up toward the blue mighty being. Rohan was approaching slowly and carefully on his horse. Soon, he was beginning to discern what he was currently looking at and what was making the dust fly away.

It was a group of people going the same way as him, but much, much slower than his horse.. Without a doubt, it was one of these famous clans.